North Carolina’s suspension and injury depleted secondary got a major boost Tuesday when it was announced that senior cornerback Kendric Burney has been cleared by the NCAA and will be in uniform for Saturday’s home game against William & Mary.

Burney, a preseason All-ACC selection, was suspended for six games for violations of NCAA agent benefits and preferential treatment rules. He was originally eligible to return for last week’s game at Miami, but was held out an additional week while his eligibility status was reviewed, presumably as part of the academic prong of the NCAA’s investigation into the Tar Heel football program.

His return couldn’t have come at a better time for UNC, which has been without its starting secondary for most of the year and lost safety Da’Norris Searcy and cornerback Mywan Jackson to injuries in a 33-10 loss to the Hurricanes.

Burney ranked second on the Tar Heels with five interceptions last season, including two returned for touchdowns, and was the team’s fourth-leading tackler with 52 total stops.

So according to Burney’s dad, the sole punishment for Burney for the academic misconduct is the reduction of his grade in a writing class from a C to a C-minus… He was suspended by the NCAA for the agent issues, but UNC did not see fit to sit him at all for the academic misconduct (he sat the most recent game only while awaiting a waiver from the NCAA regarding his low caseload now that he will not be able to graduated this semester). I’m sure Burney’s case will serve as a huge deterent to all future “student athletes” at Carolina. If you get caught cheating, you won’t miss any games and you’ll have your final grade reduced by a half of a grade!! The Carolina Way indeed.

Where are you getting your information?? From pack pride?? Yeah, that’s a reliable source. The fact is you have no clue about the facts surrounding Burney’s case. The fact that Moo U can only manage to graduate 45% of their football players speaks volumes about their academic prowess. That is pathetic and begs for an NCAA investigation. Worry about your own academic problems before you wildly speculate about someone else’s.

The Moo U players get help and still can’t graduate. This has been an ongoing problem for you since the the Jimmy V. scandal. I know you wuffies are disappointed that this hasn’t turned out worse but as the investigation winds down, the whole “tutorgate” issue involves 2 players. Given the fact that Carolina carries 85 players and graduates 75% of them, I don’t think 2 players helps their percentage much. But that involves math and I know you wuffies aren’t too good at that.

Ehawk, You are bragging about the graduation rates of the Carolina football team? Now? In the middle of a huge investigation into cheating of Carolina football players? Really? I’ll bet you are also proud that those fine “tutors” were able to keep Hakeem Nicks academically eligible during his stay despite the fact that his Wonderlic score indicates that he is borderline literate.

As for my information, I read more than one newspaper each day. Check out the quotes from Burney’s dad in yesterday’s N&O. But, if you think that this whole thing is winding down and tutorgate involved two players then I know that you are going to have a hard time accepting any negative information until the NCAA rules. But keep in mind that this is not over until they say it is.

Yes, the academic probe of the investigation is indeed nearing completion and all but two of the suspected players have been cleared by the NCAA. So that is your “huge” investigation and basis for calling all Carolina football players cheaters?? I know that has to be dissappointing for you. At least Nicks scored better on the Wonderlic than your TJ Williams who scored BELOW the literacy level. No surprise there as Moo U has been turning out geniuses like him and Charles Shackleford for years. Yes, I will bragg about UNC’s graduation rate and it was touted in the Durham Herald Sun on Wednesday as well. I will also bragg on the average SAT score for the football team which is MUCH higher than for the bunch at State College and has notably risen since the arrival of Coach Davis. The point is that it is the pinnacle of hypocrisy for anyone at NC State to be critical of the academic standing of any Carolina athletic program. Your history is a bit jaded for that.

I will give it to you, you do have the party line of “move along, there is nothing to see here” down pat. I’m just glad that the NCAA won’t buy it and based on the lawsuit filed today, neither will the press.